Thursday, November 26, 2009

Here's a heavily DVNR'd Happy Harmony "Tom Turkey & His Harmonica Humdingers" (1940). The pluses? There's some nicely done animation in there. The minuses? If you can get through this without putting your fist through the screen you have my eternal admiration.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Thanks everyone for stopping by for my annual Halloween Cartoon Countdown! I'm taking a little breather (not that I post that often anyway) but thought I should at least put something up before I go so here's a wonderfully fun and funky bit of animation from 'Wise Flies' (Talkartoon 1930, credited to Willard Bowsky and Ted Sears) to the tune of 'Some Of These Days'. The song goes back to 1910 (when it was composed by Shelton Brooks) but became enormously popular through a version performed by Sophie Tucker in the 20's. Rather than include that version I've opted to post the stellar 1930 recording by Cab Calloway and his amazing back-up band: The Missourians. At least one of the musical cues, in the later 'Minnie The Moocher' (Betty Boop) cartoon was a Missourians song composed before Cab joined the band! Enjoy and see you soon!

"During the span of years from 1914, I have made efforts to retain the "cartoony" effect. That is, I did not welcome the trend of the industry to go "arty". It was, and still is, my opinion that a cartoon should represent, in simple form, the cartoonist's mental expression. In other words the "animated oil painting" has taken the place of the flashiness and delightfulness of the simple cartoon.

In my opinion, the industry must pull back. Pull away from the tendencies toward realism. It must stay in it's own backyard of "The Cartoonist's Cartoon." The cartoon must be a portrayal of the expression of the true cartoonist, in simple, unhampered cartoon style. The true cartoon is a great art in it's own right. It does not need the assistance or support of "Artiness." In fact, it is actually hampered by it." - Max Fleischer